An Oakland couple who haven't been heard from in Peru for nearly a month were spotted on a boat in a river in a remote part of the country, U.S. and Peruvian officials told relatives Tuesday.

Garrett Hand and Jamie Neal, both 25, were on a bicycle tour of South America and told their families they planned to ride from Cuzco, in the interior of the country, to Lima on the Pacific coast 350 miles away. Relatives last heard from the pair Jan. 25, and there has been no activity since then on their bank or social-media accounts, according to the families' Facebook page.

Hand's mother, Francine Fitzgerald of Concord, said Thursday that relatives have been told that Peruvian authorities spotted the pair in a remote village.

The couple apparently decided on the spur of the moment to take a boat journey and didn't tell their families, she said. It was unclear when they were seen.

"The information told to me is that they are on a boat on the river and that they are sending a plane to find them," she said, adding that she expected to get an update Thursday.

Fitzgerald said the families would not relax until Hand and Neal return home.

Officials with the U.S. State Department said they were awaiting more information before making a statement about the couple's status.